Investors looking to diversify away from straight equity can invest in property as an alternative via direct investment, or by investing in units of listed or unlisted real estate investment trusts (REIT) or the shares of property developers.

Typically a REIT will purchase a number of similar properties, maintain those properties and collect rent from tenants, and pay a distribution (dividend) to the unit holder net of maintenance costs and management fees. REITs are primarily attractive to investors for their dividend yield but also offer capital upside on property value appreciation. The bulk of listed REITs fall into three property categories: office, being office blocks usually in a CBD; retail, being shops and shopping centres; and industrial, being warehouses, logistics centres and so forth. Other variations exist.

Property developers typically purchase land, build office, retail, industrial or residential complexes, and sell those properties. Developers offer a higher risk/reward investment than REITs given the lag time between construction and sale, and the capital committed to a project. Dividend yields are typically lower but capital up/downside typically greater.

The tables in the attached PDF list Australian REITs and developers and and calculations for dividend yield and valuation, including share price to earnings, price to net asset value (market value of property) and price to book value (property valuation on the company's/trust's books) for the purpose of investor assessment.

FN Arena is building the future of financial news reporting at www.fnarena.com. Our daily news reports can be trialed at no cost and with no obligations. Simply sign up & get a feel for what we are trying to achieve.

The content of this information does in no way reflect the opinions of FN Arena, or of its journalists. In fact we don't have any opinion about the stock market, its value, future direction or individual shares. FN Arena solely reports about what the main experts in the market note, believe and comment on. By doing so we believe we provide intelligent investors with a valuable tool that helps them in making up their own minds, reading market trends and getting a feel for what is happening beneath the surface. This document is provided for informational purposes only. It does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy any security or other financial instrument. FN Arena employs very experienced journalists who base their work on information believed to be reliable and accurate, though no guarantee is given that the daily report is accurate or complete. Investors should contact their personal adviser before making any investment decision.